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The Miami Dolphins officially have 58 players on their roster, with the league limit currently set at 90 players. Add in the seven draft picks Miami will likely make this year, and the team has 25 open roster spots. Over the last few days, the Dolphins appear to be filling some of those spots, with players like offensive tackle Michael Dunn from the Alliance of American Football’s Birmingham Iron and former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Ricardo Louis. The Dolphins also have interest in Jayrone Elliott from the AAF’s San Antonio Commanders, though they would be in competition with several other teams to sign him.
It appears, another of those roster spots is being filled. According to his Instagram post, it appears the Dolphins are adding Brazilian defensive tackle Durval Neto.
In his post, Neto, writing primarily in Portuguese, states:
Make some noise Brazil! We’re in!! Believe in your dreams, even if they may seem stupid, you are a giant by nature. Today we made history and who is next? It could be you.
I want to thank God for taking care of every detail and putting the right people in my life during that journey, my family, my brother @JJ @echelonsportsi, @tntsportsgrogl and the NFL Undiscovered who both invested in and gave me the opportunity to show who I am.
And @miamidolphins thanks for the opportunity, I will make everyone proud, especially my country BR. Thanks @sidart for the art my brother, it means a lot to me. @nfl @nflbrasil @miamidolphins #fabr #nfl
The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Safid Deen first reported the signing.
Neto participated in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program on April 1, 2019. The event featured seven athletes from five countries working out at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facilities for scouts from all 32 teams. This was the third year of the program.
If at the end of the preseason, any of the seven players are not signed to a 53-man roster, the league will allow teams in a randomly selected division to carry an 11th practice squad member throughout the season as part of the league’s International Player Development Program. This player cannot be promoted to the active roster. The AFC East was the selected division for 2019.
Neto, 25, played in Brazil the last four seasons. He was a judo champion prior to taking up football.